The women’s national volleyball team was given a warm welcome, when they returned after winning silver in the AVC Senior Women’s Central Zone Volleyball Championship, on Friday night.

Sports Minister Ahmed Mahloof received them at Velana International Airport.

The minister, via Twitter, said congratulated the players for their “hard work, dedication and commitment.”

The team played a total of five matches in the tournament held in Bangladesh; four in the league round and the final match.

The women’s team went to the finals after winning three out of four of its matches in the league round. It lost to Nepal (25-14, 25-05 and 25-13), after winning against Kyrgyzstan (26-24, 25-22 and 25-14, 25-18 and 15-10), Bangladesh (25-16, 27-25 and 25-22) and Afghanistan (25-06, 25-07 and 25-08).

While they played against Nepal in the finals on Thursday, they were beaten in three straight sets, 25-13, 25-12 and 25-08.

This has been the women’s volleyball team’s biggest achievement at an international tournament thus far.